Pa. woman charged with stealing dying man's dog

PITTSBURGH—A city woman has been jailed on charges she stole her dying neighbor's dog, then attacked two police officers who arrested her.

Gisele Paris, 57, was arraigned late Tuesday on charges including theft, aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Police were still working Wednesday to find the 8-year-old Siberian husky named Thor.

"I'd like to see him before I die," said Thor's owner, Mark Boehler, 54, who is dying from esophageal cancer. "Please, I'm begging you. I would like my dog back."

Police believe Paris stole the dog from Boehler's yard around Thanksgiving. Boehler had been staying with relatives about 20 miles away in Butler County because of his illness and found the dog missing when he returned home the night of the holiday. He reported the dog missing the next day.

According to a criminal complaint, Paris brought a husky to an animal shelter that Friday, claiming she found the dog as a stray. On Dec. 11, Paris returned to claim the dog.

Boehler told police that whoever took the dog from his yard used wire clippers to cut open his fence.

On Jan. 9, Paris brought the dog to a veterinary hospital. When workers there recognized the dog from past treatments, they questioned Paris about the dog's ownership, the complaint said.

That's when Paris "became very irate, uncooperative, and left the hospital without having the dog treated," police said in the complaint.

When a staff member told Paris to contact the dog's owner, the defendant screamed, "This dog was in deplorable condition.

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You don't know. I saved it. I rescued it. I took it out of a bad situation."

But police said Paris simply stole the dog and, to make matters worse, kicked one police officer and hit another in the chest when they came to arrest her.

Police say Paris acknowledged having Boehler's dog but hasn't told them where she was keeping the animal. Online court records don't list an attorney for Paris.

"I don't know how long or whether I'm going to be able to beat this cancer, but I would just like to see him one more time," Boehler said. "That would be real nice."

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